Sermons (Page 22)
Pono Like Jesus – John 3
Our worship together this Sunday is inspired, in part, by Pastor Chris and Dave’s recent vacation in Hawaii! The jet lag is passing and we thank the congregation sending us off and receiving us again with beautiful blessings. The reflection is titled “Pono Like Jesus – John 3.” The seed was a window decal featured on a sleek little, lime green SUV in a grocery store parking lot. And, as God would have it, one of the lectionary texts for this week – the 2nd week of the season of Lent – just happens to be John 3:1-17. Do you catch the God-wink? So, what does pono mean? What does a plumeria blossom lei smell like? Is paradise real? Does aloha mean hello or goodbye? And what does any of that have to do with LENT?!
Nonviolence – Re-weaving the Social Fabric: Nonviolent Public Work and the Commonwealth
Harry Boyte delivered the reflection during worship on Sunday, January 26 to conclude a month-long focus on nonviolence in January. Boyte connected nonviolence with the value of public work. Today’s need is for “many examples of nonviolent work with public purpose and also we need many stories of connection and common effort across differences,” said Boyte.
Nonviolence – A Wellspring of Hope for a World in Flames
People remember nonviolence today wrongly. They believe it is pacifism —the refusal of violence in any circumstance. Even more widely they think it is a useful tactic, marches or sit-ins or civil disobedience without violence. Both are wrong as the essence of nonviolence, which is a transformative philosophy of everyday life. It involves spiritual, moral, and psychological disciplines that refuse to demonize opponents or reduce them to caricatures. It advances public love instead.